Carme

 

(kär'mē) , in astronomy, one of the 39 known moons, or natural satellites, of Jupiter.

There is also an asteroid named 558 Carmen.

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Carme

Discovery
Discovered by:	S. B. Nicholson
Discovery date:	July 30, 1938[1]
Orbital characteristics
Mean radius of orbit:	23,400,000 km[2]
Eccentricity:	0.25[2]
Orbital period:	702.28 d (2.045 a)[2]
Avg. orbital speed:	2.253 km/s
Inclination:	164.91° (to the ecliptic) 167.53° (to Jupiter's equator)[2]
Satellite of:	Jupiter
Physical characteristics
Mean radius:	23 km
Surface area:	~6600 km²
Volume:	~51,000 km³
Mass:	1.3×1017 kg
Mean density:	2.6 g/cm³ (assumed)
Equatorial surface gravity:	~0.017 m/s2 (0.0017 g)
Escape velocity:	~0.028 km/s
Albedo:	0.04 (assumed)
Temperature:	~124 K

Carme (kar'-mee, IPA: /ˈkɑrmi/; Greek Κάρμη) is a retrograde irregular satellite of Jupiter. It was discovered by Seth Barnes Nicholson at Mount Wilson Observatory in California in July 1938.^[1] It is named after the mythological Carme, mother by Zeus of Britomartis, a Cretan goddess.

Carme did not receive its present name until 1975;^[3] before then, it was simply known as Jupiter XI. It was sometimes called "Pan"^[4] between 1955 and 1975. Note that Pan is now the name of a satellite of Saturn.

It gives its name to the Carme group, made up of irregular retrograde moons orbiting Jupiter at a distance ranging between 23 and 24 Gm and at an inclination of about 165°. Its orbital elements are as of January 2000.^[2] They are continuously changing due to Solar and planetary perturbations.

See also

• Irregular satellites
• Jupiter's moons in fiction

References

External links

• Carme Profile by NASA's Solar System Exploration
• David Jewitt pages
• Scott Sheppard pages

Moons of Jupiter
Listed in increasing distance from Jupiter. Temporary names in italics.
Amalthea group	Metis · Adrastea · Amalthea · Thebe
Galilean moons	Io · Europa · Ganymede · Callisto
	Themisto
Himalia group	Leda · Himalia · Lysithea · Elara · S/2000 J 11
	Carpo · S/2003 J 12
Ananke group	Ananke · Praxidike · Harpalyke · Iocaste · Euanthe · Thyone  (core) Euporie · S/2003 J 3 · S/2003 J 18 · Thelxinoe · Helike · Orthosie · S/2003 J 16 · Hermippe · Mneme · S/2003 J 15  (peripheral)
Carme group	S/2003 J 17 · S/2003 J 10 · Pasithee · Chaldene · Arche · Isonoe · Erinome · Kale · Aitne · Taygete · S/2003 J 9 · Carme · S/2003 J 5 · S/2003 J 19 · Kalyke · Eukelade · Kallichore
Pasiphaë group	Eurydome · S/2003 J 23 · Hegemone · Pasiphaë · Sponde · Cyllene · Megaclite · S/2003 J 4 · Callirrhoe · Sinope · Autonoe · Aoede · Kore
	S/2003 J 2
Rings of Jupiter

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